Methods and apparatus for implementing telemetry applications on a subscriber identity module

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses for implementing telemetry applications with the SIM card of a mobile equipment. For one embodiment of the invention the telemetry application allows the encoding of TAD within a supplementary services message and transmission of the TAD over a control channel of a GMS telecommunications system. For one embodiment of the invention the telemetry application allows the decoding of caller identification message received from a CMS to obtain the TAD.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/231,003, filedSep. 16, 2005; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. No.60/621,300, filed Oct. 22, 2004, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to the field of telemetryapplications employing a wireless telecommunications system and morespecifically to methods and apparatuses for implementing a telemetryapplication on a subscriber identity module (SIM (SIM card)).

BACKGROUND

Wireless telemetry systems use a wireless (e.g., radio frequency)communications network to allow the measurement of information by remotedevices and the transmission of the measured to a central monitoringstation (CMS). Typical wireless telemetry systems also enable thecontrol of remote device through the counter part of telemetry,telecommand.

In general, telemetry systems are employed for the purpose of monitoringenvironmental conditions or equipment parameters. Such systems areemployed in a wide variety of applications including security, healthmonitoring, vehicle and asset tracking, and device and equipmentmonitoring and control.

A typical telemetry system includes a number of remote measuringdevices, an encoder for encoding the measurements as analog or digitalcommunication signals, and a transmission means for transmitting thecommunication signals.

Some telemetry systems use a wireless telecommunications system totransmit the telemetry application data. To effect such a system, themobile equipment of the telecommunication system is controlled by atelemetry application. Typically the telemetry application is programmedinto firmware of the mobile equipment.

Telemetry applications provide the ability for a telemetry device toobtain measurement data at remote location and transmit the data over awireless network to a central monitoring station. Such applications areconsidered machine-to-machine applications as no human user is involved.That is, for such applications, the data is input from a machineconnected to the mobile station and not from a human user of the mobilestation.

An exemplary telemetry application providing a method for communicatingtelemetry application data (TAD) over a control channel of a wirelesscommunication network is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,203 to Ladue('203 Patent). As described in the '203 Patent, TAD from a remote deviceis encoded in a stream of dialed digits along with a remote featurecontrol request (RFCR). The telemetry application described in the '203Patent exploits the RFCR to transmit TAD from the remote device to theCMS. The remote device is assigned a Mobile Identification Number (MIN)so that it appears as a roaming cell phone to a local MSC. The local MSCthen, acts as the serving MSC for remote device. The area code specifiedin the assigned MIN is selected so that the CMS functions as the HLRassociated with the home MSC for the remote device. The CMS furtherappears as a service control point (SCP) on the SS7 network to receivethe RFCR and TAD automatically forwarded by the serving MSC.

This is effected as follows. An RFCR is placed in the dialed digitsstream accompanying a call origination message initiated by the wirelesscommunicator. Additionally, TAD is also placed in the dialed digitsstream. The call origination message and dialed digits stream istransmitted over a control channel to the sewing MSC. The serving MSCreceives the call origination message and, associated dialed digitsstream, and detects the RFCR, triggering the serving MSC to forward thedialed digits stream, including the RFCR and the application specificdata, over the SS7 network, to the CMS/SCP on the SS7 network.

As evident from this example, telemetry applications may be quitesophisticated which results in a substantial disadvantage. As note abovethe telemetry application may be programmed in firmware in the mobileequipment. This means that providers of telemetry applications have toapproach mobile equipment manufacturers independently to have thetelemetry application implemented within each type of mobile equipment.Therefore such a scheme is time-consuming and costly. Moreover, this maycontribute to inconsistencies in the telemetry applications betweenmobile equipment manufacturers.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses forimplementing telemetry applications with the SIM card of a mobileequipment. For one embodiment of the invention the telemetry applicationallows the encoding of TAD within a supplementary services message andtransmission of the TAD over a control channel of a GMStelecommunications system. For one embodiment of the invention thetelemetry application allows the decoding of caller identificationmessage received from a CMS to obtain the TAD.

Other features and advantages of embodiments of the present inventionwill be apparent from the accompanying drawings, and from the detaileddescription, that follows below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be best understood by referring to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings that are used to illustrateembodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a GMS telecommunication network inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a system in which a telemetry application isimplemented on the SIM card of a mobile station of a GSMtelecommunication system in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a process by which a telemetry application isimplemented on SIM of a mobile station in accordance with one embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a system by which a telemetry application isimplemented on a SIM in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrates methods by which telementry application isimplemented on a SIM in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Mobile stations of telecommunications systems typically include a SIMcard. The SIM card, which is coupled to, but physically separate fromthe mobile equipment (transceiver) of the mobile station is amachine-readable media containing the subscriber identity informationallowing the subscriber to be identified by the network. This allows thesubscriber access to subscribed services irrespective of the specificmobile equipment. That is, by inserting the SIM card into another GSMterminal, the user is able to transport services to that terminal (e.g.,placing and receiving calls as well as other subscribed services). TheSIM card typically stores a security key to protect against unauthorizeduse. Originally, the SIM cards were implemented to store accountinformation for a particular user and were not much more than a datastorage medium. Removable and portable SIM cards allow a user totransport their account information from one mobile station to another.

Over the years the SIM card has evolved from a simple storage device toinclude coded programs implemented on the SIM card. For example, the SIMcard can now implement menus such that the SIM card can invoke an actionof the mobile equipment (alarms, sounds, etc.)

Programs can be implemented on the SIM card in a variety of ways. Forexample, the GSM standard provides a SIM Application Toolkit (SAT) (alsoreferred to as a SIM Toolkit (STK)) that is programmed into the SIMcard. The SAT provides mechanisms that allow applications implemented onthe SIM card to operate in conjunction with mobile equipment thatsupports the SAT. Such consumer applications include, for example,financial service (e.g., banking), and service dialing number, amongmany others.

Recently, proactive SIM capabilities have provided the SIM card with theability to intercept an event and take a specified action. That is,using proactive SIM capabilities, the SIM card can initiates commands toeffect applications independently of the mobile equipment or thewireless communications network. For example, the SIM card may beprogrammed to recognize a number and, in response to the number beingdialed, effect a specified action such as barring the number orautomatically changing the number dialed.

The applications implemented on a SIM card have been heretoforerestricted to consumer applications in which a human uses the mobileequipment to obtain provide information. SIM capabilities have not, thusfar, been used to implement a machine-to-machine application (e.g., atelemetry application) on a SIM card of a mobile station.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a telemetryapplication is implemented on SIM card of a mobile station usingavailable SIM facilities provided by the wireless telecommunicationsstandard. For one embodiment, an SAT is used to implement a telemetryapplication, including modifications or invocations of standard GSMfunctions, on a SIM card of a mobile station of a GSM telecommunicationssystem.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth.However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may bepracticed without these specific details. In other instances, well-knowncircuits, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail inorder not to obscure the understanding of this description.

Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, theappearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” invarious places throughout the specification are not necessarily allreferring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features,structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner inone or more embodiments.

Moreover, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a singledisclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the DetailedDescription are hereby expressly incorporated into this DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a GMS telecommunication network inaccordance with one embodiment of the invention. Network 100, shown inFIG. 1 includes a mobile station 110. The mobile station 110 includesthe mobile equipment (transceiver) 112. In accordance with oneembodiment of the invention the mobile equipment 112 is communicativelycoupled to a telemetry device 105.

The mobile station 110 also includes a SIM card 116 having implementedthereon a telemetry application 118 in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention the telemetryapplication implemented on the SIM card 118 effects a method fortransmitting TAD over a control channel of a GSM telecommunicationssystem as described in related United States Patent Application No,“TBD”, entitled “Methods and Apparatuses for ProvidingApplication-Specific Messaging Over a Global System for Mobile WirelessCommunication System”, filed on “Oct. 22, 2004”. For purposes ofillustration, the telemetry application described therein will be usedto illustrate an embodiment of the invention.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the mobile station 110 communicates with thebase station subsystem MSS) 120 via a GSM-compatible transmission format(ETSI). BSS 120 includes a number of base transceiver stations (BTSs)122. The BTSs 122 comprise the radio transceivers that define a cell ofthe network, as well as handle the radio-link protocols with the mobilestation 110. The BSS 120 also includes a number of base stationcontrollers (BSCs) 124 that manage the radio resources for one or moreSTSs 122. The BSCs 124 effect such operations as radio-channel setup,frequency hopping, and handovers. As shown in FIG. 1, the BSCs 124connect the mobile station 110 to the mobile switching center (MSC) 132of network subsystem (NSS) 130. The MSC 132 provides the functionalityfor handling a mobile subscriber including registration, authentication,location updating, handovers, and call routing to a roaming subscriber.The MSC 132 also provides connection to the fixed networks 140 (shownfor example, as PSTN, PSPDN, and CSPDN).

The MSC 132 provides its services in conjunction with a number offunctional entities including the home location register (HLR) 134 andthe visitor location register (VLR) 135 which, together with the MSC 132provide call outing and roaming capabilities. The HLR maintains thecurrent location of the mobile station long with administrativeinformation for each registered subscriber of the GSM network.

The VLR 135 contains information to control and provision services foreach mobile station located within the geographical area controlled bythe VLR 135.

The GSM network employs two channel types; traffic channels (TCHs) usedto transmit speech and data, and control channels (CCHs) used forsignaling. The control channels include the random access channel(RACH), which is used by the mobile station to request access to thenetwork including requests for supplementary services (SS).Supplementary services modifies (supplements) basic telecommunicationservice. When the mobile station transmits an SS request the systemassigns a standalone dedicated control channel (SDCCH) to the mobilestation for access to the network.

The control channels also include the paging channel (PCH used to alertthe mobile station of an in-coming call.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a telemetryapplication that allows TAD to be transmitted within an SS message onthe allocated SDCCH, as described more fully below, is implemented onthe SIM card of the mobile station.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system in which a telemetry application isimplemented on the SIM card of a mobile station of a GSMtelecommunication system in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention. System 200, shown in FIG. 2 includes a telemetry device 205.Telemetry device 205 is coupled to mobile station 210. The telemetrydevice 205 communicates. TAD data to the mobile station 210. The SIMcard 116 of mobile station 210 includes a telemetry application 118. Thetelemetry application 118 encodes the TAD as an SS message and transmitsit through the BSS 220 to the NSS 230 on an allocated SDCCH. The MSC 232receives the SS message and invokes the appropriate interlace message.The SS message is then forwarded to the HLR.

The GSM mobile application port (MAP) (GSM_MAP) sends the SS messageusing a MAP_Register_SS message to the HLR 234. Software in the HLR 234understands the GSM_MAP.

The HLR receives the SS message, formats the message in a desiredtransmission protocol and forwards the data to the CMS 250. That is,software on the HLR converts the message from the SS message format to,for example, TCP/IP format. The message may be communicated throughdirect or indirect communication links as exemplified above. The CMS 250may include a digital processing system (DPS) 251 for processingdecoding) the received message to obtain the TAD. DPS 251 may alsoinclude a telemetry application 254 for transmitting TAD from the CMS250 to the telemetry device 205. The CMS 250 may communicate the TAD toexternal systems (not shown) for additional processing or actions.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process by which a telemetry application isimplemented on SIM of a mobile station in accordance with one embodimentof the invention. Process 300 begins at operation 305 in which atelemetry application is developed

At operation 310 the telemetry application is coded as modifications orinvocations of functions of a particular wireless telecommunicationssystem. For one embodiment of the invention the telemetry applicationconsists of modifications or invocations of GSM functions.

At operation 315 the coded telemetry application is implemented on theSIM card of a mobile station using application standards of the wirelesscommunication system. For one embodiment of the invention, the telemetryapplication is implemented using a GSM SAT.

General Matters

Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatuses forimplementing a telemetry application on a SIM card of a mobile station.Though described in relation to a GSM telecommunications system,embodiments of the invention are equally applicable to othertelecommunications systems that include SIM card programmingcapabilities.

In accordance with alternative embodiments various telemetryapplications may be implemented on a SIM card. Two exemplary telemetryapplications that may be implemented on a SIM card are included as FIG.5 (Steps 500 to 525) and FIG. 6 (Steps 600 to 625), submitted asAppendix A.”

As described above in reference to FIG. 2, the central monitoringstation may include a DPS. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating oneembodiment of a DPS 401 that may be included within the centralmonitoring station in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention. For alternative embodiments of the present invention, DPS 401may be a computer that includes a processor 403 coupled to a bus 407. Inone embodiment, memory 405, storage 411, display controller 409,communications interface 413, input/output controller 415 and audiocontroller 427 are also coupled to bus 407.

DPS 401 interfaces to external systems through communications interface413. Communications interface 413 may include a radio transceivercompatible with AM, FM, TV, wireless telephone signals or the like.Communications interface 413 may also include an analog modem,Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) modem, cable modem, DigitalSubscriber Line (DSL) modern, a T-1 line interface, a T-3 lineinterface, an optical carrier interface (e.g. OC-3), token ringinterface, satellite transmission interface, a wireless interface orother interfaces for coupling a device to other devices.

Far one embodiment of the present invention, a carrier wave signal 423is received by communications interface 413 to communicate with antenna440. In one embodiment of the present invention, earner wave signal 425is received/transmitted between communications interface 413 and network450. In one embodiment of the present invention, a communications signal425 may be used to interface DPS 401 with another computer system, anetwork hub, router or the like. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, carrier wave signals 423 and 425 are considered to be machinereadable media, which may be transmitted through wires, cables, opticalfibers or through the atmosphere, or the like.

In one embodiment of the present invention, processor 403 may be aconventional microprocessor, such as for example but not limited to anIntel x86 or Pentium family microprocessor, a Motorola familymicroprocessor, or the like. Memory 405 may be a machine-readable mediumsuch as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and may include staticrandom access memory (SRAM). Display controller 409 controls in aconventional manner a display 419, which in one embodiment of theinvention may be a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display(LCD), an active matrix display, a television monitor or the like. Theinput/output device 417 coupled to input/output controller 415 may be akeyboard, disk drive, printer, scanner and other input and outputdevices, including a television remote, mouse, trackball, trackpad,joystick, or the like. In one embodiment of the present invention, audiocontroller 427 controls in a conventional manner audio output 431, whichmay include for example audio speakers, headphones, an audio receiver,amplifier or the like. In one embodiment of the invention, audiocontroller 427 also controls in a conventional manner audio input 429,which may include for example a microphone or input(s) from an audio orMusical device, or the like.

Storage 411 may include machine-readable media such as for example butnot limited to a magnetic hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, asmart card or another form of storage for data. In one embodiment of thepresent invention, storage 411 may include removable media, read-onlymedia, readable/writable media or the like. Some of the data may bewritten by a direct memory access process into memory 405 duringexecution of software in computer system 401. It is appreciated thatsoftware may reside in storage 411, memory 405 or may be transmitted orreceived via modem or communications interface 413. For the purposes ofthe specification, the term “machine readable medium” shall be taken toinclude any medium that is capable of storing data, information orencoding a sequence of instructions for execution by processor 403 tocause processor 403 to perform the methodologies of the presentinvention. The term “machine readable medium” shall be taken to include,but is not limited to solid-state memories, optical and magnetic disks,carrier wave signals, and the like.

While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments,those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is notlimited to the embodiments described, but can be practiced withmodification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims. The description is thus to be regarded as illustrative insteadof limiting.

APPENDIX A

FIG. 5 illustrates a process in which TAD is obtained form a telemetrydevice which may be part of a vehicle tracking system, for example.

At operation 510 the TAD is encoded within a GSM supplementary servicemessage. For one embodiment of the invention in which the GSMsupplementary service message is a register_ss call forwarding message,the TAD is encoded as the “forward-to-number” portion of the register_sscall forwarding message as described more fully below.

At operation 515 the register_ss message containing the TAD istransmitted over a GSM control channel. For one embodiment, TAD encodedwithin a register_ss message is sent over the SDCCH.

At operation 520 the register_ss message is detected at the HLR. Themessage is then reformatted to a desired transmission format andtransmitted to the CMS.

At operation 525 the message is received at the CMS where it is decodedto obtain the TAD.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a supplementaryservice is selected for encoding the TAD. GSM includes a number ofsupplementary services (e.g., forwarding, call barring, call hold, callwaiting, etc.). Not all supplementary services have available fields fortransporting the TAD. For one embodiment of the invention the callforwarding supplementary services are used because they provide thelargest available field for transporting the TAD. GSM provides thefollowing call forwarding services.

CFU—all incoming calls for the specified services will be forwardedwithout being offered to the mobile subscriber.

CFB—when the mobile subscriber is busy, all incoming calls for thespecified services will be forwarded without being offered to the mobilesubscriber.

CFNRy—all incoming calls for the specified services that are notanswered within a defined period will be forwarded.

CFNRc—a all incoming calls for the specified services when the mobilesubscriber is not reachable will be forwarded without being offered tothe mobile subscriber.

FIG. 6 illustrates a process by which TAD is transmitted from a CMS to atelemetry device over a GSM control channel in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. Process 600, shown in FIG. 6, begins atoperation 605 in which TAD is encoded as the CPN of a PRNR.

At operation 610 the PRNR is transmitted to the serving MSC of themobile station. That is, the gateway MSC invokes the PRNR including theTAD encoded as the CPN.

At operation 615 the serving MSC of the mobile station associates anMSRN with the mobile station.

At operation 620 the MSRN is used to page the mobile station. The pageincludes the TAD (i.e., as the CPN) thus transmitting the TAI) to themobile station.

At operation 625 a telemetry application implemented on the SIM card ofthe mobile station decodes the CPN received to obtain the TAD, which isthen communicated to the telemetry device.

1. A mobile station, to operate in a wireless telecommunications system,comprising: a device to collect telemetry application data; a mobileequipment communicably interfaced with the device and enabled tocommunicate with a remote location via the wireless telecommunicationssystem; a subscriber identity module (SIM) coupled with the mobileequipment, having a telemetry application implemented thereon, thetelemetry application to receive the telemetry application data from thedevice via the mobile equipment and cause the mobile equipment totransmit the telemetry application data to the remote location via thewireless telecommunications system.
 2. The mobile station of claim 1,wherein the device to collect telemetry data comprises any one or moreof: a remote device that measures information, a telemetry device, amachine to machine (M2M) device and an audio device.
 3. The mobilestation of claim 1, wherein the telemetry application to further encodethe telemetry application data within a supplementary services message;4. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein the supplementary servicesmessage comprises a call forwarding message selected from the groupcomprising: a call forwarding unconditional message, a call forwardingon mobile subscriber busy message, a call forwarding on no replymessage, and a call forwarding on mobile subscriber unreachable message.5. The mobile station of claim 3, wherein the mobile equipment totransmit the supplementary services message over the control channel ofthe wireless telecommunications system comprises the mobile equipment totransmit the call forwarding message over a standalone dedicated controlchannel of the wireless telecommunications system.
 6. The mobile stationof claim 4, wherein the telemetry application data is included in aforward-to-number of the call forwarding message.
 7. A method in amobile equipment comprising: executing a telemetry application storedwithin a subscriber identity module (SIM) coupled with the mobileequipment, wherein the telemetry application causes the mobile equipmentto perform operations comprising: receiving telemetry application datafrom a device communicably interfaced with the mobile equipment, whereinthe telemetry application data comprises measurement data collected bythe device, encoding the telemetry application data within asupplementary services message of a wireless communications systemaccessible to the mobile equipment; and transmitting the supplementaryservices message to a remote location via the wireless communicationssystem.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the device to collecttelemetry data comprises any one or more of: a remote device thatmeasures information, a telemetry device, a machine to machine (M2M)device and an audio device.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein thesupplementary services message comprises a call forwarding messageselected from the group comprising: a call forwarding unconditionalmessage, a call forwarding on mobile subscriber busy message, a callforwarding on no reply message, and a call forwarding on mobilesubscriber unreachable message.
 10. The method of claim 8, whereintransmitting the supplementary service message over the control channelof the wireless communications system comprises transmitting the callforwarding message over a standalone dedicated control channel of thewireless communications system.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein thetelemetry application data is included in a forward-to-number of thecall forwarding message.
 12. A non-transitory computer-readable mediumhaving executable instructions stored therein that, when executed, causeone or more processors corresponding to a system including a mobilestation and a device communicably interfaced with the mobile station,wherein the mobile station comprises a mobile equipment, a subscriberidentity module (SIM) card coupled to the mobile equipment, a telemetryapplication and a transmitter to perform operations comprising:accessing the telemetry application from the SIM card via the mobileequipment; executing the telemetry application from the SIM card via themobile equipment; collecting telemetry application data at the mobilestation via the device; and transmitting the telemetry application datato a remote location over the wireless communications network via themobile equipment.
 13. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the deviceto collect telemetry data comprises any one or more of: a remote devicethat measures information, a telemetry device, a machine to machine(M2M) device and an audio device.
 14. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the telemetry applicationfurther comprises an encoder, wherein the encoder encodes the telemetryapplication data within a supplementary services message.
 15. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein thetransmitter transmits the supplementary service message over a controlchannel of the wireless communications network to a central monitoringstation.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14,wherein the supplementary services message comprises a call forwardingmessage selected from the group comprising: a call forwardingunconditional message; a call forwarding on mobile subscriber busymessage; a call forwarding on no reply message; and a call forwarding onmobile subscriber unreachable message.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein transmitting thesupplementary service message over a control channel of the wirelesscommunications network comprises a transmitter, wherein the transmittertransmits the call forwarding message over a standalone dedicatedcontrol channel of the wireless communications network.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein thetelemetry application data is included in a forward-to-number of thecall forwarding message.
 19. A mobile station for a wirelesstelecommunications system comprising: a mobile equipment; and asubscriber identity module (SIM) coupled to the mobile equipment, theSIM having implemented thereon a telemetry application.
 20. The mobilestation of claim 19 wherein the wireless communications system isselected from the group consisting of a Global System for Mobile (GSM)system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and othercellular communication technologies.